


boys of the baratie

by shinsouaizawa



Series: green & yellow [4]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Angst, Captivity, Caring Roronoa Zoro, Caring Vinsmoke Sanji, Gen, Hurt Roronoa Zoro, Hurt Vinsmoke Sanji, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, Nightmares, Oblivious Vinsmoke Sanji, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Protective Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro Needs a Hug, Vinsmoke Sanji Needs a Hug, Worried Vinsmoke Sanji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinsouaizawa/pseuds/shinsouaizawa
Summary: "You look hungry, and you need to dry off before you catch your death." Sanji paused. "We can get these things off too." He looked to the shackles. "And treat your wounds.""Why do you want to help me?""Because you look like you need it right now."
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji
Series: green & yellow [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905427
Comments: 14
Kudos: 139





	1. Man Overboard! A Green-Haired Visitor Arrives

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @finral

The sea was thankfully calm once again after the frankly terrifying storm they'd endured the night before. Sat out on the upper deck, back resting against the door of his room, Sanji tipped his head back as he blew the smoke from his mouth.

The light blue waters gently lapped against the side of the Baratie in the soft, pleasant winds of what had turned out to be a beautiful warm day.

The old man hadn't been too pleased to discover that the chefs' bright idea to let him try a cigarette had turned into a regular occurrence.

He didn't care about any of that though, or Zeff’s insistence that fourteen was too young to be smoking, he wasn't hurting anyone but himself so who cares?

Zeff would say he did and it was true. The old man had already done far too much for him to the point where Sanji would be long in the grave himself before he ever managed to pay back everything he owed the ex-pirate of the Grandline.

Getting to his feet and stubbing away his cigarette in the ash tray, he walked to the railing and leant down upon it looking out.

Sanji's eyes widened a few seconds later as he gasped.

"Man overboard!" He shouted; stomping his foot against the wooden floorboards in the hope the crew would hear him down below.

But there wasn't enough time to wait.

Unbuttoning his shirt and kicking off his shoes and socks he took a running start before diving down into the sea below.

He was sure he heard Zeff shout just before he hit the water.

Grabbing the guy he secured him in his arms before swimming round to the lifeboat at the side of the ship which thankfully hung close to the water and heaved him up into it. It took more energy than he'd anticipated to get himself in too as he flopped onto his back trying to catch his breath.

The lifeboat was raised a few seconds later as Zeff and his fellow chefs were all stood around with concerned expressions staring down at them.

"Sanji, what were you thinking diving in like that, you could have been killed?!"

He ignored the old man's concern as he sat upright, coming to kneel beside the guy he'd plucked from the sea. The green-haired stranger seemed to be around his age and also wasn't breathing which didn't fill him with confidence about his chances of a successful rescue. Tearing open the guy's shirt his eyes widened as he saw the scars and burn marks which littered his skin, not to mention the shackles on his wrists.

_How did this guy stay afloat with those weighing him down?_

He quickly began chest compressions.

"Come on."

After a minute or so Sanji could hear the crew throwing around comments like 'he's dead' and 'don't you think you should stop?' but he refused to give up. Not now, not after all that effort to save him. Thankfully he was soon rewarded for his perseverance.

"Guh!" The guy coughed and spluttered as his eyes darted open.

Sanji helped him to turn on his side as he violently expelled the water he'd taken in.

"Get it all out." He encouraged with firm hits to the guy's back.

When he seemed to have recovered, untrusting eyes stared him out.

"Where am I?"

"You’re on the Baratie."

"What's that, a Marine ship, slavers?"

"No, uh, we're a restaurant."

The guy seemed to look around at the crew still staring down, their uniforms obviously helping prove the truth in his statement.

Sanji reached out towards the guy's shoulder.

"We should get you inside before you catch a-."

Suddenly a hand seized him by the throat as he was twisted to his front and slammed against the bottom of the lifeboat, a knee harshly pressing into his back keeping him down, and a knife dangerously poised to strike his neck.

"Sanji!" Zeff’s voice called out.

Guns were cocked from above and trained on their visitor.

"It's okay; we're not going to hurt you." Sanji began calmly. "We just want to help."

"Why?!"

"You look hungry, and you need to dry off before you catch your death." He paused. "We can get these things off too." Sanji looked to the shackles. "And treat your wounds."

The guy furrowed an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you want to help me?"

"Because you look like you need it right now."

The knee was slowly removed from his back before the guy backed off to the other side of the lifeboat, protectively grasping the knife.

"We're not going to take your knife, just don't stab anyone, okay? I don't want the extra workload while they get to lounge around recovering." He smirked as he took hold of the side of the Baratie and pulled himself back on board.

Sanji looked back down to the guy and held out a hand.

Surprisingly their visitor took the offer and let himself be lifted to the deck. He couldn't help but notice the hisses in his breaths clearly from disguised pain.

"Well first off, you need some food and a towel."

He went to walk to the stairs at the side of the ship but stopped as he noticed the guy wasn't behind him.

"Well come on then."

He began to follow.

"Sanji?" Called Zeff.

"Yeah, Jiji?"

"Be careful, alright?"

He grinned.

"I'm always careful."

Zeff smirked.

"That's what worries me."

Sanji rolled his eyes as he led the guy off to the upper deck.

* * *

Opening the door to his room, Sanji used his hand to smooth down the sheets to make them look a little more presentable before motioning towards the bed.

"Here, take a seat."

The guy followed the instruction as his eyes stayed fixed on the floor, his gaze never moving to even look around at the room.

Sanji furrowed an eyebrow as he returned with a lock pick.

"Okay so let's get these off you first."

He went to take the guy's wrist but he recoiled.

"Woah, I'm just gonna' pick the lock, you're good, dude."

Slowly the shackle was moved closer to him once again.

"Thank you."

He got to work on the lock and managed to get it open with suprising ease, the second one, he found, was also much of the same.

"There, that'll probably feel a lot better."

The guy's wrists had been rubbed raw from the heavy shackles.

"Let me get the first aid kit."

Retrieving it from under the bed, Sanji grabbed some cream from the box and a roll of bandage as he began to clean them up.

"What's your name?"

No reply.

"Oh come on you don't need to be all secretive, like I said, we're a restaurant, we're hardly gonna' cause you any trouble."

"Zoro."

Sanji smiled at the quiet response.

"I'm Sanji, I'm working my way up to being the sous chef of the restaurant. Zeff is the Captain and the one who said he wouldn't even consider giving the position to me until I'm at least seventeen, but I think that's stupid."

He seemed to realise he'd gone off on an unimportant tangent as he quietly cleared his throat. Grabbing his pack of cigarettes he lit one up before finding a towel and handing it over to the green-haired guest. "Get dried and then I'll get you some food."

"Aren't you gonna' interrogate me or something?" Asked the low voice.

Sanji smirked.

"What, me?! Do I look like I interrogate people for a living? I suppose I do know my way around knives." He took a drag from his cigarette. "You need a shirt." Rummaging through his wardrobe Sanji pulled out a white cloth shirt. "Here, this'll probably fit you."

"Thanks." Zoro quickly dressed before handing back the towel.

"Those wrists are probably gonna' need more than just those but I think you'll survive. Knowing the old man he'll probably fuss over them later so for now we'll just focus on food. The restaurant's busy so you'll be getting a private dining experience out back." He joked.

As to his surprise he was sure their visitor had chuckled a little too.

* * *

Having sat Zoro down on a crate at the side of the kitchen he hadn't moved an inch since. Sanji was busy maneuvering through the sea of chefs in the cramped space sneaking lamb meatballs, bone stock gravy, and roasted potato skins onto a plate.

When he was done he offered a smile to Zoro.

"Come on, it's too hot to eat in here."

* * *

Heading out to the rear of the ship Sanji pushed open the door to the deck where a couple of chairs and tables were set up.

"This is usually the staff break area but for one day only I suppose it can be a dining room. It's got a great view of water." He teased as he placed the plate down on the table. "Eat up."

Zoro seemed to be cautious but did take a seat. As he dug into the food his eyes seemed to widen a little before he dug in faster.

"Hey." Sanji interrupted. "Eat slow."

And got daggers in return.

"Oh don't give me that, you'll only be miserable later and you'd be the one cleaning it up."

Zoro did seem to listen as he ate slower.

"I still don't understand why you're helping me."

"Because you're hungry."

"And?"

"And, let's just say I know what that's like."

"But you don't want to know anything in return? Or want anything?"

"I want you to eat your damn food before it goes cold; there's also a no wasting food rule on this boat, Zeff will throw you overboard if you break it, just a warning."

Their vistor smirked.

"Seems fair."

"Very."

"SANJI!"

The young cook jumped as the door was thrown wide behind him.

"Jesus you wanna' shout any louder?! What?!"

"Did you dice those onions with your eyes closed this morning?"

Sanji scoffed, mouth hanging open in offence.

"They are perfect; you’re clearly the one that's blind!”

“And you.”

Zeff turned to his attention to their visitor.

“Go get some rest, Sanji will show you where you can stay.”

“Which is?” The young chef questioned.

“Your room.”

Sanji scoffed.

“And where the hell I am supposed to sleep?!”

“Just share the damn thing."

"No way!"

"Then enjoy sleeping in the storeroom, eggplant."

Zeff walked off.

He growled before taking a deep breath to force himself to calm down.

“Right… fine…”

Sanji turned to Zoro.

“Come on.”

“You don’t have to-.”

“It’s fine, honestly, you _do_ need the rest.” He ditched his cigarette, stubbing it out into the ashtray embedded into the wall before opening the door to the maintenance area. “Just leave your plate, I’ll drop by and grab it on my way back.”

Their visitor nodded.

* * *

“It’s a big ship.” Zoro commented as they reached the upper deck.

“Ehh once you get used to it the place seems _way_ smaller, trust me.”

Sanji pushed open the door to his room.

"I'll bring you some food later, or you can just come back downstairs if you wake up before the dinner service, either is fine. You're not our prisoner or anything so you can have a walk around if you want to. And don’t worry about the old man, he’s got a bite to him but he’s soft as crap when you get to know him; he means it when he says you’re welcome here.”

Their green-haired visitor nodded.

“Thank you.”

Sanji offered a smile.

“No problem, now get some sleep, we'll see if you have anything else that needs patched up later.”

"Okay."

"Come find me if you need anything I'll be downstairs."

He softly closed the door behind him.


	2. Zoro a Thief? The Mysterious Swords on the Island

The sun was beginning to set as Zoro awoke; oranges and pale yellows painting the room in a warm glow. Stretching with a yawn and a hiss he climbed out of bed and exited the room.

Walking onto the upper deck he leant against the railing as he watched the sun slowly lowering beneath the horizon, the water still and twinkling as the rays reflected.

"So he finally awakens."

Zoro jumped, turning quickly to see the older man from earlier, knife out in a second and ready to strike.

He smirked, reaching out and pushing the knife down.

"It would take a lot more than that piece of crap to kill me, boy."

Zoro sheathed the knife back in the waistband of his pants.

"So, you feeling any better?"

He nodded.

"Mind if I take a look? I saw you back in that lifeboat and you had more than just some cut up wrists."

Zoro hesitated but ultimately nodded once again.

"Come on then."

He was led back into the room as the old man grabbed the first aid kit.

"Not much of a talker, huh?"

He didn't reply.

"I suppose Sanji wasn't much of one either and now you can't shut the kid up, always yapping on about something or other." The old man offered a smile. "Just relax kid, it may not seem like it but you are safe here, we ain't gonna' make you talk or turn you in, the Marines are no friends of others, neither are the World Government; whatever happened to you is your own business until a time when you might decide to share."

The old man popped the buds of the stethoscope in his ears before placing the cold metal against his chest.

"Breathe in for me."

Zoro followed the instruction.

"You don't have pneumonia by the sounds of it but you'll still need to be careful." The captain grabbed a blanket from under the bed and wrapped it around him. "You need to stay warm and eat plenty, shouldn't be too hard to follow those rules, right?"

He received a pat on the shoulder.

"Come on; let's get food into 'ya."

"Thank you." He spoke up, voice quiet but sincere.

The old man smiled before he found his hair being ruffled.

"Don't thank me for showing you basic human decency you damn brat."

Zoro smirked.

* * *

**One Month Later**

Life aboard the Baratie was strange as Zoro had come to discover.

But he had to admit… he liked it.

The crew were friendly if not a bit loud, and the food was incredible! The meals he received were mouth-watering every time and he found himself eagerly awaiting them throughout the day.

In the last month since arriving on the ship, the crew members had been training with him, Zoro having come to find weights in the basement of the ship which had become a favourite pastime of his and he was already seeing the results as he found himself gaining muscle.

This meant that Zeff had put him in charge of the deliveries so once or twice a week he would lug the entire contents of the shipment from the top deck down into the storeroom. Aside from that he spent the rest of his time sleeping in the crow’s nest.

“Hey kid!”

Zoro cracked an eye open.

“You wanna’ go check out the island, we need to go and do the weekly ingredients shop?”

He nodded.

“Come on then.”

* * *

Sanji had been roped in too, something which he didn’t seem overly pleased about. No sooner had he taken a cigarette out of the pack, Zeff snatched it from him and threw it into the ocean.

“Hey! You’re buying me a new pack you damn bastard!”

“Like hell I am!”

Zoro smirked.

“What are you smirking at?!” Sanji challenged which received a swift peg leg to the head from the Captain.

“Don’t be rude!”

Sanji scowled as he rubbed his head.

Zeff continued to row.

Zoro’s eyes widened.

The island was **huge** with beautiful sandy beaches, palm trees, and a large town in the distance with a clock tower, and an array of flags and bunting hanging between the rooftops.

Zeff smiled as he noticed.

They were soon approaching the shore.

The old man picked up the rope and threw it onto the beach.

Sanji hopped out and grabbed hold of it.

“Give me a hand.”

Zoro nodded as he joined the blonde on the shore and helped pull the boat up the bank.

Sanji tied it into place.

“Nice work you two.” Zeff smiled.

* * *

It was market day in the town, which was obviously why this day was chosen every week, and Zoro was amazed by the hustle and bustle. The stalls were selling all kinds of things from food, to paintings, to little wooden children’s toys.

As he passed one stall in particular, Zoro’s eyes widened as he stilled, feet bringing up dust from the ground. Turning back to look at the items on the table he couldn’t help but stare.

_“No fair, I wanna’ learn three-sword-style too!”_

_His Father chuckled._

_“You’re still far too young to learn yet.”_

_“But I know two-sword-style!”_

_His Mother walked over and ruffled his hair._

_“That’s because you’re our little swordsman.”_

_He looked between the swords sheathed by their sides._

_“So when will I get a cool sword like you and Dad?”_

_His Father removed the scabbard from his belt and held it out for him to admire._

_“This, is Wado, your Mother’s is Sandai Kitetsu; these swords have been handed down through our family line for generations with every pirate hunter having used these very blades in the fight to end the tyranny threatening to drown our world. When you’re old enough you will have a sword of your own that was also passed down, its name is Shusui.”_

_“Can I see it?”_

_His Mother nodded as she walked to the back of the Dojo and retrieved a sword from the wall._

_“You must prove you are a swordsman worthy of carrying a blade such as this before you can ever wield it.”_

_“Then I’m going to train really hard!”_

_His Father chuckled._

_“That’s my boy.”_

Zoro’s eyes rose to meet those of the stall holder’s.

“Where did you get these?!” His voice was strong.

“I’m a swords dealer; I get stuff like this in all the time. I don’t sell swords to children though so get lost, kid!”

Zoro growled and before he could even stop to think about the potential consequences he grabbed the three swords from the stall and sprinted off.

“HEY! STOP HIM!”

He had no idea where he was going or where he was going to run to but Zoro was at least thankful that market day had made the streets of the town busy meaning he was able to rush through them relatively unnoticed.

That guy was still on his tail though and so were various other locals.

A flash of blonde appeared ahead before Sanji turned to see what all the commotion was about, their eyes meeting before an exasperated expression appeared on the young cook’s face as he joined his sprint.

“What the hell are you doing, mosshead?!”

“Mosshead?!” He scowled.

“ANSWER THE QUESTION?!”

“Right, uhhh, I kinda’ grabbed these and ran.”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Sanji shouted.

“They’re my parent’s swords, they-.” He couldn’t finish his sentence as the words forced their way back down his throat. “I just need them, okay?”

Suddenly strong hands came to grab them both by the collar, suspending them from the ground.

It was Zeff and he looked **furious**.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!” He bellowed.

Zoro shrank at the tone, a small whimper escaping that he knew Sanji would have been able to hear.

“‘M sorry.”

“There he is!”

The stall holder caught up.

Zeff released the two of them.

The stall holder stormed over and slammed a fist across his face, but Zoro only held onto the swords tighter as he cradled them against his chest.

Sanji looked furious as he went to land a strike on the guy but Zeff’s hand at his collar held him back, the old man placing himself between the two of them and the stall holder.

“What appears to be the problem here?”

“That damn thieving brat stole those swords from my stall!”

Zoro winced, he was going to be left to rot for this, there was no way Zeff would want anything to do with him now.

The old man turned to glance between him and the swords.

“And how much were they?”

Zoro couldn’t help the confusion in his expression from those words.

“100,000 beri each.”

His eyes widened.

Zeff scoffed.

“Yeah right, those things will be blunt as hell, 150,000 for the three.”

The stall holder chuckled.

“200, the extra fifty will make up the trouble he caused.”

“180.”

“Fine, now get your shit and go; you’re lucky you’re a regular, Zeff; who is that little shit anyway?”

Zeff pulled out the money and exchanged it with the stall holder.

“He’s a new member of my crew.”

“Well could you teach him some damn manners?”

“I’ll try.”

Zeff turned to the two of them.

“Come on, the boys from the town are loading the boat.”

A hand was gently placed on his shoulder as he led them back down to the shore.

Zoro looked down at the swords in his arms but remained quiet.

Zeff exhaled.

“I think we need to talk when we get back to the Baratie.”

* * *

Sat cross-legged on the bed in Sanji’s room he looked at the three swords lain out on the mattress.

Wado, Sandai Kitetsu, and Shusui.

There was a knock at the door before Zeff entered.

“Hey, kiddo.”

He walked closer and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“How’s the cheek?”

Zoro shrugged.

“Look kid, you need to tell me what the hell all that was about back there; you do know they could’ve called the Marines on you for that.”

“They’re my parent’s swords.”

Zeff silenced before reaching out for one of the swords to take a closer look.

“And them being for sale on some random island-.”

Zoro didn’t need to answer, the old man getting everything he needed to know from his expression alone.

“Who was it?”

“Pirates.”

Zeff sighed.

“Look kid-.”

“They were pirate hunters.” He forced out, body shaking. “And I know that you’re pirates too so the last person you want on your ship is the son of a pirate hunter, and I’m sorry for lying to you, or not telling you, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

The old man’s hand came to rest on his shoulder.

“I think you might feel better if you stopped holding all of this crap back.”

Zoro nervously nodded.

* * *

**Five Years Earlier**

Grabbed from their beds by pirates and dragged to the shore, Zoro could barely breathe from the fear overwhelming him as he was held harshly by one of the crew members.

"The hunter becomes the hunted." Taunted the Captain.

Mom leant forward, pressing her head to the floor.

"You can do whatever you want to us, but please... please let our son go, he's just a kid, he had no part in what we did. I beg of you, show mercy."

"Mercy eh? The two of you are pirate hunters with over fifty kills to your names, I don't think either of you have a leg to stand on when it comes to asking for mercy."

"Mama!" Zoro bucked against the hold of the pirate restraining him as he tried to fight his way over to his parents.

The Captain chuckled with a grin as he brought a cigar to his lips.

"String them up; and bring the boy, we're taking him with us."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mom screamed.

"ZORO!" Dad's joined hers.

The firm grip on his neck only got tighter as he was dragged onto the ship. He watched as the other crew members brought rope and tied it round their necks.

His father turned to him, his expression strong.

"Don't look Zoro."

"Get a move on, brat!" A harsh kick sent him flying through the air and crashing into the side of the ship. His head smacked against the wood and everything went dark.

~

"Ughhhh..."

Flickering an eye open he winced against the sun beating down, his eyes protesting it's strength.

The Captain was stood over him with a grin.

"Hey kid, how much would you like to see your Mommy and Daddy again? Well considering I'm a real nice guy I'll allow it one last time."

Zoro rushed to his feet as he looked out, eyes darting around desperate to them.

And then...

His breath caught in his throat.

His eyes widened.

And the contents of his stomach left him.

There, hanging by their necks from the rocks out at sea, bodies swinging bonelessly in the light breeze, were his parents.

Hyperventilating he dropped to his knees on the wooden deck of the ship as he sobbed, screaming in grief and fear.

~

**Five Years Later**

Being chained to the wall in the basement had come to be almost routine for him, as did the blood dripping down his face, arms, and chest. Zoro had quickly become their punching bag after he found himself kidnapped as a prize for their extermination of his parents, the crew even extinguishing their cigars and cigarettes on him, or throwing him overboard with bound wrists for fun.

It was late one night when he heard the crew begin to shout, the air thinning as dark smoke drifted below quarters.

"FIRE!"

Zoro's eyes widened.

He watched as the pirates sprinted around with buckets of water attempting to put out the blaze but it was no use.

"Abandon ship, she's going down."

"HELP!" He screamed, the water slowly beginning to rise beneath him.

Zoro fought against the chains but he knew it was no use.

"No..." He couldn't help the weak tone that escaped him.

The contents of the ship began to rain down the staircase from the upper decks, Zoro being careful to dodge the larger pieces of furnishings.

If he got knocked out he was dead.

Suddenly he spotted it.

A knife.

Kicking it closer with his foot he managed to secure the blade before slowly but heavy-handedly attempting to open the lock.

Unsurprisingly it didn't work.

"Dammit!"

It was then that he changed tactic and instead began to just try and break the chain itself. He knew his wrists were going to be in tatters by time he was finished but the water level was becoming dangerously high.

He was awarded for his efforts a minute or so later.

With his last remaining cuff he tried to find enough momentum to rip the chain from the wall of the ship. He felt as if he shoulder was about to tear from his socket as he willed himself to heave.

The cuff's chain snapped minutes later.

Getting to his feet he found himself still able to stand without full submersion; Zoro could only take this as a plus as he waded through the water and up the stairs.

Next was the tricky part.

The sheer amount of water flooding the bottom decks was wreaking havoc with the ship's balance meaning that she was already beginning to tip to the side.

He needed to jump into the water without being pulled down by the ship or spotted by the pirates.

Zoro didn't like his odds.

At least no would be looking for him, those fuckers would all have expected him to drown.

And maybe he still would.

Taking a deep breath, he jumped.

* * *

Zoro shook violently before a blanket was wrapped around his shoulders.

“Zoro…” Zeff’s voice spoke up softly.

“Sorry, ‘m sorry.”

“You did nothing wrong.”

“I’m the son of pirate hunters.”

“Your parentage doesn’t define you.”

Zoro picked at the fabric of the blanket, eyes downcast.

“You bought the swords.”

Zeff nodded.

“I did.”

His gaze rose to meet that of the old man’s.

“Why?”

He smiled.

“It must have been fate; the first time I decide to take you to the island and you find your parent’s swords on one of the stalls, it’s as if these things wanted to be reunited with you, I could hardly stand in the way of that.”

“But all that money.”

“It’s only money, these mean more to you.”

Zoro was finding it hard not to cry.

“Thank you, I’ll… I’ll find some way to repay you.”

The old man shook his head.

“There’s no need.”

There was a knock at the door before Sanji peered his head round.

“Hey Mosshead, you okay?”

Despite the new nickname his tone was genuinely that of concern.

Zoro nodded.

Zeff looked between the two of them.

“Well, the dinner service will be going out soon; we’re low on numbers so the pair of you can be waiters for the night.” He turned to him. “You up to it, kiddo?”

“Of course!”

“Then come on then.”

He headed for the door.

Sanji hung back.

“You sure you’re okay?”

Zoro smiled.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Good, but next time, don’t be an idiot and do that crap on your own, I could have helped you.”

He smirked.

“You kinda’ did help anyway, running with me like that meant they thought you were in on it too, way to incriminate yourself, Curly Brows.”

Sanji’s eyes widened at the nickname before a scowl came to his face.

“Curly Brows, who the hell are you calling Curly Brows, Meathead?!”

“You Shitty Cook!”

“Shitty Cook?! How dare you, this is the guy who can’t even make soup! Maybe we need to leave you out longer to photo synthesize so your brain will grow!”

“You wanna’ fight?!”

“Ohhh bring it on, Sword Boy!”

Zeff, who had been stood against the railings, smirked.

“Boys!”

Silence followed before…

“We’re coming…”


	3. The Man on the Front Page — Sanji's Bad Day

**1 Month Later**

The sun was baking down on the deck out back as he panted heavily, sweat dripping from him.

Swinging at the training post someone on the crew had made for him Zoro was quickly beginning to understand why his parents had him training with shinai rather than real swords; the weight difference was incredible and it was really starting to take its toll on his stamina.

Deciding to take a breather he placed the swords down before walking over to the table to grab his drink.

The blonde was sat reclined on a sun lounger, book in hand; he pulled down his sunglasses as he approached.

“Are you done yet?”

Zoro chugged back more than half the glass, ice and all.

“No.”

“Ughhhhh.”

“Hey if you don’t like it then move, shitty cook.”

“Like hell, I was here first.”

“That’s funny; I didn’t see you out here at 6AM when I started.”

“I meant first as in the Baratie, dumbass.”

“Oh so that makes the place yours does it, I’m sure Zeff would have something to say about that?”

Sanji scoffed, pushing his sunglasses back up.

“This place would run into the ground without me.”

Zoro burst out laughing

“Sure…”

He reached into the glass, dipping his fingers into the drink contained before flicking it at the cook.

The blonde managed to move his book in time but the rest of the water hit him directly in the face.

There was a silence for a few seconds before…

“Right, that’s it, you’re dead.”

Dumping down his book Sanji dived to his feet and sent a kick towards him.

Zoro managed to dodge before quickly diving to grab the shinai he had thankfully brought down too. Returning to his feet he squared off against the blonde.

"Come on then, shitty eyebrows."

* * *

"Boss!"

Zeff turned from the pan to his crewman who seemed a little stressed.

"What is it?"

"The boys are fighting again."

He exhaled heavily in annoyance.

"For the love of-." Shaking his head he threw the spatula down. "Watch that and don't let it burn."

"Yes, boss."

* * *

As he climbed the stairs to the rear deck the sound of laughter could be heard.

Zeff quickly came to find the two boys lying on their backs staring up at the sky.

"What were you even trying to do, gymnastics?"

"Hey! It'll look cool once I get the hang of it, I just need to get the spin down, then I can test it out on you and kick you overboard."

"I'd chop your foot off before you could even touch me."

"As if, mosshead!"

"Are you doubting my sword skills?"

"Yeah 'cause you're an idiot."

"Fuck you shitty cook!"

Zeff smirked.

"Oi, what the hell have you two been doing up here?" He spoke up, announcing himself to the teens who both turned as he walked over.

"Get back in the kitchen; it's not your day off, Jiji." Sanji teased.

Zoro tried (and mostly failed) at trying to conceal the laughter threatening to burst from his lips, the kid’s face screwing up as he looked down, avoiding eye contact and shaking lightly with a quiet snicker.

“Have you two done that laundry I told you to do days ago?”

That certainly silenced them.

“Uhhh…”

He shook his head.

“Come on, get upstairs and grab it, it’s far more productive then staying out here and annoying the customers.”

“We’re not annoying the customers!” Sanji retorted in offence.

“Whatever, go.”

The two teens groaned but soon headed towards the stairs, Zoro having grabbed his swords and shinai.

~

The boys’ room, as it had become after Zoro’s arrival, saw Sanji sharing with the kid (which the eggplant hadn't been too thrilled about). There was only room for one bed, which the boys refused to share beyond the first week and so instead they'd strung up a spare hammock from the crew living quarters for Zoro to use.

Despite being initially concerned, the lad ended up loving his 'bed' which Sanji quickly celebrated as it meant he didn't have to give up the queen bed he'd had since they first built the Baratie way back when.

There were two bean bags on the floor, a rug that had definitely seen better days, a couple of books, and two trunks containing the boys' clothes, all of which had been picked up on various trips to the town on the shore.

Zoro's side was cluttered with sword cleaning parts as well as a small stack of plates that clearly at one point had been used for onigiri, the teen clearly having neglected the effort of taking them down to the kitchen to be washed.

Sanji's side however was much neater with everything he owned organised either into or on the little wooden bookcase; he could however very easily spot the ashtray the brat had obviously attempted to hide from view peeping out from under the bed.

“Oi, eggplant!”

He picked up the ashtray and held it up.

The kid seemed unfazed though.

“It’s for decoration.”

Zeff scoffed.

“I’ll leave you both to it, but keep the noise down or you’ll ruin the reviews.”

“ _‘You’ll ruin the reviews’._ ” He heard Sanji impersonate as he headed across the balcony before Zoro burst out laughing.

He couldn’t help but smile.

* * *

**‘GERMA 66 RISES AGAIN AFTER SHOCKING ATTACK’**

* * *

Walking to their room Zoro knocked lightly on the door.

"Hey, shitty cook, you okay in there?"

No reply.

"Look, can you at least say something, everyone's worried about you?"

A familiar tapping of a wooden leg approached as he turned to see Zeff, the old man sighing as he noticed the closed door.

Walking over the old man offered a pat to his shoulder.

"You go help with the lunch service, I'll talk to him."

Zoro nodded.

"Okay."

Zeff smiled.

"Good lad."

Walking slowly across the upper deck balcony towards the stairs he hesitated just long enough to see the old man knock on the door before letting himself in.

It was brief but through the cracks he saw him, the blonde sat on the edge of his bed with his head lowered, his shoulders shaking as his hands pulled at his hair as if he would pull it out at the root any second.

And then the door clicked shut once again.

"Hey lad, would you mind helping me carry the fish order to the freezer?" Called Carne.

Jumping a little at the voice he nodded before heading downstairs to help.

* * *

It wasn't uncommon to see the boy like that, scared of the world and everyone in it. Scared of a family that he largely refused to talk about besides what slipped out when he was a much younger child. He remembered hearing about a cell, a helmet, the darkness that he was still scared of to this day (not that he would ever come out to admit it), and a loneliness he could never even begin to imagine.

He'd purposely told his crewmate to dispose of the morning newspaper after having seen that name on the headline but, no surprise, he'd forgotten.

Sanji played it off well but it was plain to see to the trained eye just how terrified he was. He'd made an excuse to leave the crew canteen, which he'd of course granted immediately, before the sound of him sprinting up the stairs followed.

He'd been in his room ever since.

Slowly walking over to not spook him, Zeff took a seat on the edge of the bed beside Sanji and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Come here."

The brat didn't need anything more than that as he immediately allowed himself to rest his head against his shoulder.

Wrapping his arm around the boy he exhaled.

"There's a lot I don't know and you never have to tell me if you don't want to, but I promise that these people will never hurt you again, not while I'm here. You're my boy, and I'm going to look after you."

"Zeff..."

He noticed the light blush of embarrassment at his parental fussing and smiled, giving the kid’s arm a light squeeze.

Shuffling back against the headboard he motioned for Sanji to join him which he quickly did.

"Well we haven't done this in a while, I kinda' miss it actually, you were a cute kid."

"I was really annoying, I feel bad for the fact you had to put up with me."

Zeff smirked.

"You're annoying now, eggplant, nothing's changed."

He succeeded in getting the response he wanted as the boy's mouth fell open in offence.

"And now with Zoro I have a second helping of teenage moodiness, I think we're past the point of 'annoying'."

Sanji burst out laughing, the sound bringing a smile to his face.

He gave him a nudge with his elbow.

“Now, there are a few new dishes I’ve been thinking about adding to the menu; do you think you and watercress would be interested in being our taste testers?”

The teen scoffed.

“Zoro? You really think that moron would say no to free food?”

Zeff smirked.

“True.”

Getting to his feet Sanji quickly checked his appearance in the mirror before heading for the door.

“I’ll go find the mosshead and tell him the news.”

He nodded.

“Okay, I’ll meet you down there.”

“Right.”

Waiting for the boy to reach the lower deck Zeff turned to the bed and grabbed the offending newspaper and something from the nightstand Sanji had forgotten to hide. Walking out onto the balcony of the upper deck he stared down the face of the monster on the front page before flicking a light and torching the corner, watching the flames rise to consume the newspaper.

“You better hope we never cross paths, Vinsmoke Judge.”

And with that, he threw it down into the water below, watching the ashes spread across the surface before slowly drifting away.

“He’s my son and I won’t hesitate to take you down if you ever lay a finger on him again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you'll be happy to know that I have another chapter already half written for this story so another update should be coming soon, watch this space ;)


	4. FIRE! The Baratie Under Attack from a Familiar Face

_'Zoro... Zoro... Sweetie, you need to wake up!'_

Zoro groaned, turning over in his hammock.

"Mom? I'm tired..."

_'ZORO!'_

Gasping awake he threw back the sheet and scrubbed a hand through his hair. His attention was caught by the orange glow through the window.

Squinting through tired, half-open eyes they suddenly widened as a gasp broke from his lips.

"No..."

Grabbing his swords he dived out the door and dashed to the bell, ringing it loudly before heading for cover.

A cacophony of storming footsteps immediately roared to life as he tried not to panic at the sight of the fires raging through the ship. Memories of that night were returning thick and fast as he struggled to keep his breathing calm.

"COME OUT ZORO, YOUR FRIENDS ARE HERE!"

Zoro gasped in horror before clamping a now violently shaking hand over his mouth to silence himself.

_No... no, no, no, no, no..._

A horrible laugh followed before slow footsteps approached.

"So, this is where you've been hiding? What a dump."

* * *

"...WAKE UP!"

Sanji groaned before flickering an eye open tiredly.

"Patty... w-what?"

A strong hand came to pull him up.

"Get up, the Baratie's on fire."

"WHAT?!"

Quickly turning to the hammock across the room he found it empty, the swords propped up against the wall were gone too.

"Sanji, where's Zoro?!"

"I- I don't know."

The admission hit him like a gut punch, his stomach churning suddenly in fear.

"Where's Jiji?"

"I haven't seen him."

Eyes widening in horror he sprinted off out the room.

"ZORO?! JIJI?!"

* * *

Having dropped two of his swords in the desperation to keep a distance between the two of them, Zoro was down to just Wado.

The slaver captain chuckled.

"And what exactly are you going to do with that? Kids shouldn't play with sharp things, boy, they're not toys. Why don't you give that to me and come back to the ship, then we won't cause trouble for all these nice folk out here?"

"N-no..."

"Speak up boy!"

"I won't come with you, and I won't let you hurt them either."

"Oh yeah, and just how are you going to stop me?"

Zoro readied his pose.

The slaver laughed.

"What are you doing you stupid boy?"

Zoro quickly slashed, Rex dodging each and every attack with ease.

"You're gonna' have to do better than that boy."

Un-expectant of the sheer speed of the slaver he soon found an elbow to the solar plexus and a knee to the stomach which had him falling to the deck hard coughing and desperate for air he couldn't find.

"How pathetic."

The slaver's foot came to stomp down on his arm before a snap followed and Zoro cried out. The move was then followed up by a kick to the face sending him sprawling, his pain threshold reaching its limit.

Tightening his grip on Wado he sluggishly pushed himself to his feet on unsupportive, shaking legs.

Zoro closed his eyes and focused before taking a breath.

"One sword style."

And with that, he slashed.

A few seconds later...

"Guhhhhh!"

Blood spurted from the large cut on the slaver’s chest.

Zoro smiled, walking over, sword still drawn.

"Roronoa Satoru and Roronoa Maki – you and your crew killed them in cold blood; I swore back then when you had me shackled on your ship that one day I'd slit your damn throat. Funnily enough you all used to laugh as if I was joking."

He held Wado's blade tauntingly close.

"Does it look like I'm joking now, Rex?"

"Your parent's were scum and they died like the pieces of pirate hunter filth that they were." His former captor chuckled.

Zoro growled, silencing his laughter with a deep slash to the throat.

The gurgling was the only sound he could hear as he watched the life drain from the monster's eyes.

"Goodbye, Rex."

The second the slaver's last breath passed, a symphony of pain returned with a vengeance.

"Guhhhh!"

Stumbling as he struggled to remain on his feet and supporting his very broken arm, Zoro crossed to a lifeboat hanging from the side of the ship and flung himself into it.

The impact of hitting the floor caused him to almost cry out once again but soon enough white spots began to dance in his vision and he emptied his stomach into the ocean below.

The fire raged on and it sounded like the crew had reached the main deck.

He knew he needed to help but he just-

Head throbbing, the world seemed to spin before he collapsed.

Zoro welcomed unconsciousness as a blessing as he found himself falling into it thick and fast.

_I'm sorry._

* * *

Standing on the front deck Sanji's eyes were tear filled as he watched the Baratie burn.

The crew had managed to make a good effort so far on taming the flames but still no one had sighted Zeff or Zoro.

Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes for a second before rushing towards the door.

"SANJI!"

But he ignored his crewmates as he entered the burning dining room in a desperate search.

"JIJI?! JIJI?!"

A beam from the roof fell with a thunderous crash just shy of him.

"SANJI! GET OUT OF THERE!"

Lip wobbling he shook his head.

"Not without Jiji... what... what if he didn't make it out?" He hated how childish his voice sounded.

"Zeff would never want you to get hurt because of him, you know that, so please..." Carne held out his hand.

Sanji hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly heading for the door, the older crewman bundling him into a hug the second he crossed the threshold to safety.

"You dumb little shrimp..." Carne sniffled.

"WE FOUND HIM!" A voice roared.

With a gasp he dashed round the deck, a squeak that would've been embarrassing any other time breaking from his lips at the sight of the Zeff being helped to sit on a crate by the railings.

"JIJI!"

"Eggplant."

Sanji threw himself at his old man who he was sure had tears in his eyes himself before comforting arms came to wrap tightly around him.

A crewman ran over.

"The guys that attacked us are gone, they seem to have fled."

"I heard them scream for Zoro earlier." Another supplied.

"BOSS!"

"What is it?" Zeff asked the cook who had sprinted over.

"There's a body."

Sanji felt light-headed almost immediately as he realised what his crewmate was holding.

Zoro's swords.

"No..." He shook his head. "No, please, no..."

"It wasn't the kid."

Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't know who it is actually, but I did a sweep of the place and I can't find Zoro anywhere."

It was then that Patty arrived with another bunch of the crew.

"Fire's out boss, it was mainly just the dining hall but even she doesn't look too bad."

Zeff took a breath.

"We can rebuild, what matters is that we didn't lose anyone." He looked between his senior staff. "Patty, Carne; I'll leave you in charge of searching for Zoro."

"Yes Boss!"

* * *

No one slept that night.

As morning broke the sun revealed in clearer detail the events of the previous night.

Having forced Sanji into helping out with breakfast, Zeff headed around to the location of the body and began to piece together the timeline which had unfolded.

It was during this search that he discovered blood fingerprints on the side of the lifeboat.

The very lifeboat in fact that Sanji had pulled Zoro up into when the boy first came to the Baratie.

As he pulled back the tarp his eyes widened.

"Zoro!"

The kid was shivering violently in the throws of an anything but peaceful sleep.

Slowly reaching out a hand it just about made contact with the boy's shoulder before a light gasp followed and a blade came to slash across his arm.

Zoro, still armed with the sword, was breathing heavily as he pressed himself back against the far side of the lifeboat.

"Zoro, it's okay, you're safe now; whoever those men were, they're gone."

The kid's eyes seemed to un-glaze before they widened in fear at the sight of his bleeding arm, horror in his expression.

"Come on, let's get you-."

Zoro flinched violently away from the offered hand as if expecting to be struck.

"I'm sorry."

Zeff took a breath.

"You did nothing wrong, squirt."

He continued forward and softly wrapped his arms around the boy before pulling him into a hug. Zoro was initially unresponsive to the embrace before almost collapsing into it a few seconds later, the stress and fear from the previous night leaving him.

"I'm sorry." The kid's voice was almost a whimper.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, none of this was your fault."

And with that, Zoro broke down.

"Just let it out, son, it's okay, you're safe now. We're gonna' protect you."

When he was younger if you'd ever asked him if he ever intended to become a Father then the answer would have been a definitive no. He'd never had an interest in the little squawky shits and hell, that was probably why he never found an interest in relationships either.

Now though, stroking a hand gently through the hair of his now second adopted kid, he found himself thankful to whatever power decided to show him just what exactly he had been missing out on.

He'd been selfish in his younger years, and even worse so in his years of piracy, but after Sanji had dropped into his life back on that rock, and faced with the choice of keeping himself alive or the brat, he hadn't even hesitated to hand over the entire food supply.

Something had changed within him and it was almost scary how protective he became of the clearly abused child who was so excited to help out in their restuarant.

And now he had another one of them too in the shape of the green-haired wannabe swordsman who'd washed up on their shores from a life with slavers.

For Zoro, it was exactly the same as he'd said back when Sanji had first came into his life.

The world had it's chance with them so now it was his turn, and he was never going to let them go.

Well, not until the day their calling came, whenever that may be.

There was an entire ocean out there for them to explore and he just knew they were going to be something special.

One day.

That was all in the future though, so for now, he would cherish the time and teach them all he could for no matter his riches from his days on the Grand Line, his true treasure lay in the boys who had come to call the Baratie their home; a home that they would always be able to return to.

And that was more than enough for him.

* * *

Having given the kid time to calm down, he walked him to where the rest of the crew were gathered for breakfast, a hand resting on his shoulder in reassurance.

"Ayyy, there he is!"

"Zoro! Man we've been so worried!"

"Nice to see you, little man."

Zeff looked around for the ship's medic and quickly found him.

"Rye!"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Could you patch the kid up?"

"Of course."

He looked down to find the boy looking confused.

"You okay, watercress?"

"Why?"

Zeff furrowed an eyebrow.

"Why what?"

"Why do they all care so much about me?"

The crew, having overheard, began to smirk.

"Because you're one of our kids too, dummy!"

"Yeah, we'd miss ya' if you were gone!"

He watched as a soft smile came to Zoro's face.

Zeff found a smile of his own.

"This is your home too, Zoro, for as long as you need it to be."

* * *

**1 Week Later**

"Ahhhhh!"

Zoro's eyes flew open as he nearly fell from his hammock in the rush to grab his katana. Looking around to gauge the threat he soon spotted the blonde upright in his bed breathing heavily and coated in sweat.

_He's had another nightmare._

"You okay?" He spoke up, voice soft.

A nod followed.

"You wanna' talk about it?"

"Ye-..." The cook’s expression changed mid-word before he shook his head. "Nevermind, it's stupid."

"Hey, if you're upset about it then it's not stupid."

Sanji scrubbed a hand down his face before pushing his hair back from his eyes.

"I shouldn't even bother you with it."

"Why, because of what happened to me; that's some shitty logic? It's not a scale you know, even if it ain't as bad as what happened to me that doesn't mean you're not allowed to be scared of it, different things affect people differently, that's just how this crap works. Now come on, spill."

He nodded.

"I just... I keep having nightmares about losing Zeff and that scares me _so much_ because then I'd be alone and I don't know if I can go through that again."

Zoro turned onto his side in his hammock to face the cook.

"Well you've got me, right? I'm not going anywhere, well, unless the old man gets sick of me that is."

Sanji smirked.

"I think he'd chop his other leg off before ever getting rid of you, mosshead."

Zoro smiled.

"Seriously though, I know we shouldn't say it but, even if the absolute worst did happen, I wouldn't just up and leave."

That really caught his attention.

"If that's what you're worried about then don't be, I may not look it but I'm pretty loyal; the old man and you gave me this place when I had nothing left, I'd die for this ship."

Sanji's eyes widened in horror.

"Zoro..."

"It's true, maybe loyalty like that is a good thing, or maybe it's a death sentence, who knows; but considering everything before this place, I don't really care. Zeff said this ship was my home and therefore I need to be able to protect it with everything I have, that's why I'm going to get stronger."

He leant his katana back against the wall.

"No damn slaver is gonna' catch me off-guard like that again. They think they can just waltz over here and take me, hah, I'd like to see them try once I perfect my three-sword-style."

Sanji groaned, slumping back against the pillow.

"What?!"

"You look so dumb when you do that."

"Hey! No I don't!"

"You absolutely do! I mean, who puts a sword in their mouth?!"

"Really cool people who know three-sword-style!"

"Sure..."

"Shitty eyebrows!" He retorted.

"Moss for brains!"

A thump on the wall followed.

"Boys! Pipe down!"

They silenced immediately.

"Sorry Zeff." He quickly apologised.

"Sorry Jiji." Sanji followed up.

They were silent for a few seconds before they both burst out into quiet giggles.

"That was your fault." The blonde whispered.

"As if." He turned to once again lay on his back staring up at the ceiling in his hammock.

Neither of them said a word for a few minutes before.

"I need a job."

Glancing to his roommate he watched him exhale.

"You have a job, idiot..."

"Washing dishes and carrying the deliveries isn't a job."

"Yes, it is; there's literally a name for it, you're a kitchen porter."

"Oh."

The blonde rolled his eyes.

"Well, I need another job that I can actually help Zeff by doing."

"And what do you have in mind?"

"Bodyguard?"

Sanji scoffed.

"Does Jiji look like he needs a bodyguard?"

"I meant for the restaurant, moron!"

"The word you're looking for is security or bouncer then, moss for brains!"

"Well it's not like I know any of this fancy crap!"

"Yeah, like I said, you're an idiot."

"And you're a shitty cook."

"I'm a chef, and at least I know how to cook."

"Sorry about that, I guess the slavers forgot to teach me."

The blonde silenced quickly.

"Shit, sorry, I..." He quickly backpedalled.

"No." Shitty eyebrows shook his head. "Fuck, you never have to apologise to me for that."

"Okay."

"Good."

"I guess we got a little carried away."

Sanji grabbed a cigarette and quickly lit it up.

"Ehh, no more than usual."

A puff of smoke separated them soon after as he quickly wafted it away, trying not to cough.

"Those things are disgusting."

"So's your face and yet I still have to wake up to that as my view."

Zoro faked a laugh seeped in sarcasm.

"Very funny."

The blonde turned back to him, his expression serious.

"How do you do it?"

He furrowed an eyebrow.

"Do what?"

"You know, talk about all that stuff so casually?"

It wasn't something he'd really ever put much thought to.

"I guess it's just my brain's way of trying to keep me sane I suppose."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Well..." He sighed, feeling very tired. "I don't know... if given the choice between making light of all that crap or having to think about my parents then it's not even a competition."

Zoro watched the cook slow, the small cloud still in his mouth after being distracted by his admission. A few seconds later the smoke was freed and the blonde cleared his throat to save himself from a coughing fit.

"Are they?"

"Yeah."

He was surprised when a 'sorry' or some form of condolence didn't follow but he appreciated that one didn't.

"So you _were_ the one who killed their Captain."

_Fuck, so he did know._

"Yes."

The weakness to his tone surprised him.

"And it didn't change a thing."

"Zoro..."

"I was so hell bent on getting revenge. Back when I was still on their ship I used to pass the time by thinking of ways to kill him, planned it out to the smallest detail." He paused, taking a breath. "And now that piece of shit is finally dead... so why does it still hurt so much? I don't feel better; hell, if anything I feel worse. I just wanted it to be over."

The blonde noticed the crack to his voice with a slightly raised eyebrow, overall his expression was solemn though, yet reassuring.

"Regardless of who he was, you still killed someone, Zoro, that's always going to leave a mark."

"What was I supposed to do, just let him live in the hope that he doesn't ruin another kid's life like he did mine?!"

"I'm not saying you shouldn't have done it, I'm telling you why you feel like shit."

"And?"

" _And_ it's because you're a big softie who doesn't want to hurt people."

"You're making me sound like a wuss."

"No, I'm reminding you that you're human and being affected by this stuff is normal." Sanji paused. "You're allowed to be sad, Zoro, you don't have to pretend that you're not for anyone's sake, not anymore."

Listening to the cook’s words brought a soft smile to his face.

"Go to sleep, shitty eyebrows."

"You're deflecting again." Sanji teased.

He smirked.

Taking a breath he couldn't help but feel the love the crew had for him. It was something he couldn't explain, something he never expected to feel again after the death of his parents at the hands of those monsters. And now...

"Hey Sanji?"

"Yeah?" Came a tired reply, half-muffled by the pillow his face was smushed against as he neared sleep.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving me that day, it uh... I have a life now because of it."

Silence followed for a few seconds before.

"The place wouldn't be the same without you, so don't ever think you're replaceable; I wouldn't be the only one who would be devastated if anything happened to you."

Finding his lip wobbling Zoro bit down on it as he tried to keep his composure.

"Now go to sleep before you start bubbling."

"Okay." He forced out.

"Goodnight Zoro."

"Night."


End file.
